Gabriel Grosclaude wins the highly endowed ZF Short Film Award 2025 with LUX CARNE.

Last weekend, the 16th Filmtage Friedrichshafen – Jetzt oder Nie took place, organized by the Kulturbüro Friedrichshafen. The highlight of the film festival was the competition for the ZF Short Film Award and the Audience Award of the ZF Art Foundation. Twelve very different short films by young directors competed, ranging from animated films to compelling short documentaries and twenty-minute sci-fi short films. The audience enjoyed the diverse competition program in the unique atmosphere of the Kiesel until late at night, eagerly awaiting the jury’s decision and the counting of the audience award votes. The short thriller SYNCOPE by Linus von Stumberg, which explores power structures and abuse of power in art, was the clear audience favorite and received the 1,000 euros Audience Award of the ZF Art Foundation.

The winner of the 15,000 euros ZF Short Film Award is Swiss director Gabriel Grosclaude. In LUX CARNE, a strict examination process regulates meat consumption: those who want to eat meat must kill an animal. The young reporter Elie sets out to document the process in the slaughterhouse, but only those who participate are allowed in. Elie must face the act of killing, and her convictions are put to the test when she confronts the animal.

With his compelling environmental thriller, an Anthropocène Noir short film, Gabriel Grosclaude impressed the jury: “The world shown in this film opens up space for many questions that we have asked ourselves together. The plot takes place in an apparently near future. Are we in a dystopian or utopian vision? How can responsibility for a valuable resource be brought out of collective repression? The film places both the main character and the viewers in a dilemma based on individual responsibility for power over other living beings. The story confronts us with our hypocrisy in dealing with the violent death of animals without moralizing. How easily do we cross the boundaries of our own convictions? For the outstanding dramaturgy, impressive cast, and excellent direction, the jury unanimously decided to award the ZF Short Film Award 2025 to director Gabriel Grosclaude for his film LUX CARNE,” according to the jury’s statement.

The jury members this year were Regina Michel, Executive Manager and Curator of the ZF Art Foundation, Nihan Sivridag, member of the Berlinale Shorts selection committee, director and author Andreas Utta, short film advisor at SWISS FILMS Sylvain Vaucher, and Laura Walde, curator of the International Short Film Festival Winterthur.

Gabriel Grosclaude was born in 1997 in Neuchâtel, Switzerland. He completed a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Engineering at EPFL (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne) and turned to a Bachelor’s degree in Film at ZHdK (Zurich University of the Arts) in 2019. In 2020, he spent a semester abroad at ENSLL (École Nationale Supérieure Louis-Lumière) in Paris. Since 2021, he has been working at Doc’it Yourself, where he realizes documentary film projects. In 2023, he became a member of the jury for the International Feature Film Competition at the Geneva International Film Festival. His Bachelor’s film LUX CARNE (2024) premiered at the Locarno Film Festival and won the Best Swiss Newcomer Award. At the 16th Filmtage in Friedrichshafen, he won the ZF Short Film Award 2025. Since 2024, he has also been working as a freelance director and producer.

Press contact
ZF KUNSTSTIFTUNG
Regina Michel
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T +49 7541 77-7114
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